Contents

Summary

Official Solicitation

"Fly high above the clouds with Knuckles and the Chaotix in The Great Chaos Caper: Part One! Knuckles the Echidna has been tasked by a mysterious force to fix the shattered planet – but when the Dark Gaia monsters emerge from the word's core, our hero finds himself in a fight for his very life! Luckily the ever-adventuring Chaotix are around to lend a hand, hired by Princess Sally to gather the all-important Chaos Emeralds. But wait, who's that lurking in the dark?"

Story One

The Great Chaos Caper - Part One: "On the Hunt"

Angel Island is rocked as Mobius breaks apart below, the beginning of the Shattered World Crisis. Knuckles, watching in astonishment, is further stunned when Chaos emerges from the Master Emerald and dives toward the planet below. A voice then emerges from the Master Emerald to inform Knuckles that the planet's condition is natural, but has occurred at the wrong time. The voice also mentions the existence of a spirit who is supposed to help the planet in this crisis, but that the spirit is weak due to the ill-timed shattering. Knuckles volunteers to travel to the planet's surface to find and help the spirit, but recognizes that the Master Emerald must be protected in his absence. To that end, he travels to the Launch Base Zone to see Relic the Pika and Fixit, an archaeologist and her robot assistant, who are in the midst of attempting to contact the surface.

After complaining about the difficulties of the island's ancient computers, and the fact that Eggman tampered with them during his previous invasion of the island, Relic learns that the island is apparently safe. Knuckles then reluctantly, with some coaxing, asks her if she will watch over the Master Emerald in his absence. She gratefully accepts, though she teases him briefly about his mentioning that he didn't have time to look for anyone else to guard it, and promises to keep it safe and untouched. Several days later, Knuckles' search for the spirit has brought him to Pumpkin Hill Zone, where he lands in a cemetery. In the midst of musing on his quest, he is surprised by a band of attackers: Dark Gaia's Minions.

More info needed.

Off Panel

Key Events

It's revealed that in the altered Prime Zone, just like in the games, Chaos was sealed in the Master Emerald rather than in the Ancient Onyx, and just like both Genesis Wave realities, the Chaotix are now a detective agency. Knuckles is also releaved to always have been the very last echinda (the other echindas from the old reality are nowhere to be seen) The events of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic Adventure 2 are also revealed to have taken place.

It's shown what was happening on Angel Island when the shattering of the world occurred: Chaos emerges from the Master Emerald and dives into the ocean below-in order to keep it in place as would be revealed in StH #263 and a mysterious force-later revealed to be Tikal-instructs Knuckles to search for a weakened "spirit".

Knuckles leaves Relic the Pika to guard the Master Emerald during his absence.

After days of searching, Knuckles reunites with the Chaotix (Vector, Espio and Charmy) who have been hired by Princess Sally to search for the Chaos Emeralds.

Might and Ray are revealed to still be associated with the Chaotix in this reality, but are currently off on their own adventure.

Knuckles and the Chaotix attempt to track down a moving Chaos Emerald, before running into Team Hooligan.

Quotes

Knuckles: Why. Is. My. Island. SIDEWAYS?!

Fixit: Madam Relic! Guardian Knuckles is present!

Knuckles: I told you to knock it off with the formalities, Fixit. What's wrong, Relic?

Relic: What's wrong? What's wrong?! The planet's gone to pieces and I can't contact anyone on the surface through this blasted useless-and-yet-still-frustratingly-intriguing ancient interface!

Relic: I'm babbling again aren't I?

Knuckles: A little. But it's understandable. Things are a little crazy.

Relic: "A little crazy" he says...

Knuckles: ...I need your help watching over the Master Emerald...

Relic: Are you quite serious?!

Knuckles: Y-Yeah. Maybe for a day or two. I'm needed elsewhere and I don't have the time to hunt down anyone else.

Relic: Ah, so I'm your last resort. Lovely back-handed compliment.

Knuckles: N-No! I didn't mean it like...

Relic: Oh, shush--I know what you meant.

Knuckles: You'd think finding a spirit tied to the world's health would be easy. Even if he is weakened, just how "weak" can something like that be? My specialty is finding treasure, not spirits. But then again, given all the supernatural stuff I've dealt with, I guess I am pretty qualified for the job.

Vector: Okay-- No more distractions! Knuckles-- Can you still sense the Chaos Emerald?

Knuckles: ...Yes. It's still on the move. It feels like it's going further... down?

Espio:Down? What's at the bottom of this canyon beyond shadows and dust?

Knuckles: Actually, there's a whole mining network under Pumpkin Hill. It seems abandoned, though. Probably because of the gho... ...circumstances.

Vector: But if Eggman's cronies have the emerald, why are they going deeper underground?

Charmy: Because they're "low-lifes"?

Vector:Ugh! Really, Charmy?

Knuckles (as the Hooligans attack): Anyone see what it is? Eggman? A badnik horde?

Vector: Worse. Our competition.

Nack: Lookie who it is! The "Moronix"! Guest-starring "Chuckles"! Run along now, before somebody gets hurt!

Background Information

The location on the main cover is the Mushroom Hill Zone from Sonic & Knuckles.

Preview versions of both covers incorrectly referred to the arc as "The Great Chaotix Caper". This was corrected on the final covers.

Relic states that she was on Angel Island when it last fell into the ocean after losing its ability to float. Curiously, the footnote states this as being during Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, even though the island was never seen to have fallen during that game. However, considering the Master Emerald was shattered in that game as it was in Sonic Adventure, it can at least be assumed the island fell off-screen.

Knuckles is implied to be not as close to the Chaotix in this timeline, as opposed to the old one where they were his closest friends. This is to keep in line with the current Sonic video games, where Knuckles' interaction with the group has been limited.

Charmy utters the famous line "I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts!" from the theme song to the Ghostbusters franchise.

The Chaotix use the link-rings, referred to by Knuckles as Sling Rings, from Knuckles' Chaotix.

Many fans have noted that several events that occur during this issue's plot bear striking similarities to lines from Pumpkin Hill's level music a Ghost's Pumpkin Soup.

Similarly, Nack's insult for Knuckles "Chuckles", is a possible reference to the infamous line "Unlike Sonic I don't chuckle" from Knuckles' theme Unknown from M.E. in Sonic Adventure 2.